Category: Golf Tips

I’m a relative expert, on golf lessons …

Firstly, everyone I’ve ever played with who’s better than me has offered me advice

And I’m thankful for it

Second, after today, the number of professionals that I’ve taken lessons from totals three, so I think I’m now qualified to make an assessment on them

And me …

Firstly, lessons from Paul Stoller, the professional at Ulverston Golf Club

I need to preface my comments with the fact that I was clueless about technique, so Paul may well have been giving me the correct advice, it’s just that I don’t think much of it went in.

A bit like when you first are learning to drive a car and each action seems like a disparate part, rather than a natural flow of events.

Anyway, to his credit, Paul managed to get me to lift my back foot, which prior to lessons with him had been stubbornly stuck to the ground, and his tips on chipping to the green were helpful.

Overall though, my impression was that he was more interested in selling me stuff, than anything else.

Second, lessons from Michael Newton at Barrow Golf Club

I’ve had two lessons with Mike now, and he’s corrected my grip and pointed out my over ambitious backswing. Currently, the main thing that I remember is rotating about my core, pointing my left shoulder at the ball and keeping my left arm straight at the start of my backswing. I have a further 4 lessons to go and Mike’s lessons seem modular, each building on the last, so too early to give a final review.

Third, I’ve had one lesson today from Simon Edwards at Windermere Golf Club

Who approaches things in a somewhat different way

His main message to me was “understand how the club head travels and how it makes contact with the ball” plus “get the right pressure of grip on the club”

And it made sense, and it worked …

Simon had me making practice shots with my eyes closed – just nice and easy

Then doing the same thing but hitting the ball

If I had to sum it up it would be, teaching me how to get out of my own way, and let physics take over.

I played 9 holes afterwards, and yes, I still duffed a few, but a lot of shots just flew straight and true with minimal effort

And it feels like a breakthrough

My homework is to do the eyes closed practice swings 50 times a day

I’ll let you know how it goes

 

Time for an update on my progress. I’ve played maybe a dozen rounds in total at Windermere, Grange over Sands and Ulverston and I tend to card in the 121 to 127 range, so consistantly poor.

Occasionally I’ll par a hole and/or have a run of maybe 3 to 5 holes where I’m around 2 over par or so, then inevitably lose 2 off the tee at the next and duff my way to an 11 …

Or worse.

And I’d find myself 200 yards from the green after a reasonable drive, knowing that a decent long iron, followed by a pitch would get me there in regulation; only to squirt the ball 45 degrees sideways into the rough, or top it a couple of times for a 10 yard gain.

Anyone relate to this?

It got to the point where I’d reach the top of my backswing (more on that later) and be thinking “I have not got the faintest idea where this ball is going to go. I could pull it left, slice it right, top it, or actually get the bloody thing in the air and hopefully in the direction of the green.

So fairly obviously, there was something fundamentally wrong with my swing …

Sometimes

The only remedy of course is lessons, so I booked myself in with Michael Newton at Barrow Golf Club.

I’m the web designer at my local BNI and we meet at Barrow Golf Club early on Friday mornings, so taking lessons there made sense.

Lesson 1 – Mike corrected my grip by getting me to rotate my left had clockwise, I’d say about 10 degrees. In other words, my existing grip meant that the club face was open, leading to a slice. He also got me to hold a golf club across my shoulders with my arms crossed so that my right hand was on my left shoulder – you can work out the other side for yourself …

Then rotate my trunk, so that my left shoulder dropped and pointed the club at the ball, to create the tension, or coil, ready to unwind into the shot.

And I got it, or at least I thought I did …

Two days later I put this to the test, first on an early morning round at Ulverston Golf Club with Derek Birkby from Derian and I did ok. Then at Grange in the afternoon with Gez, where I also did ok, getting a par at one hole and nailing a couple of 100 yard, over the trees and onto the green shots, with a 9 iron. I didn’t score the Ulverston round and at Grange, I was once again in the 120’s

So something was obviously still wrong …

Lesson 2 – Mike showed me my swing on video, and frankly, having observed what I do, I’m really surprised that I’ve ever managed to get round a golf course. Because both elbows are bent around my neck on my backswing, leaving the club head about 270 degrees to travel before making contact with the ball.

So we set about shortening up my backswing and keeping my left arm straight …

And that worked too

I tried it out at the driving range, and I’m getting the correct flight for my chosen club, just with variable distance and angle, so still work to do

So I FEEL like I’m making progress, but I’ve yet to see that reflected in a score. I’ll be attempting to play as often as I can through late autumn/winter, trying to break the 120 barrier for the first time, then making a push to sub 100 next year.

Wish me luck

One thing that I’ve noticed about golf is how the different stages of playing a hole mess with your head …

First up, you’re on the tee with perhaps 500 yards of course ahead of you and the pin out of sight

All your instincts tell you to hit the ball very hard and as I’m sure you’re aware, that’s a mistake, unless you’re Bubba Watson, and most of us aren’t …

And that’s a lot like rock climbing

A sport that most non climbers think is aggressive and macho and adrenalin fueled …

And It’s not

At it’s best it’s like dancing on rock …

Plus you learn how to control and reduce the adrenalin flow so that you can make calculated moves

And not die …

Bear with me, there is a point to this, plus a very useful living room exercise that I’ve devised based on these principles

Then it’s maybe 250 -350 yards to the green and the pin is visible so the tension is ratcheted down a notch …

A pitch to the green which requires both delicacy, feel, and positivity

Then a putt from maybe 15 feet for a birdie ..

And finally a tricky 5 footer for par

But how do you practice that transition? The gradual winding down of yardage on a hole, change of clubs, and change of emphasis from power to precision …

In your living room

I have the answer for you and it works very well …

Sidenote:

I live on my own, I also work from home, the downside of which is that I sometimes don’t talk to a human being face to face for 2 days at a time, and have to go buy something in a shop, just to check that my vocal chords still work.

The upside however is that I can do whatever I want in my own space without someone looking at me like they need to call a doctor, or psychiatrist …

Your circumstances may vary

So here’s the drill:

Pick your favourite, frantic tune that you used to dance to when you were younger …

It could be something by the Rolling Stones, maybe it’s Go Buddy Go from The Stranglers or Firestarter by The Prodigy

Whatever it is, whack it on the CD, Ipod or whatever it is you choose to play music on …

And dance around your living room as energetically as you can for 4 minutes or so

There’s an additional bonus here for most males over the age of 30 …

You’ll get used to dancing again

That thing that you used to enjoy doing and then one day realised that you couldn’t do it anymore …

Without looking (and feeling) like your Dad

So when it’s time for the social events, you’ll be up there bopping, rather than listening to the dull conversation around you, repeated for the nth time

Life’s meant to be fun – right?

Then put on another track, something slower …

Not Barry White, that’s wayyyyy too slowwwww

Maybe an Iian Mcnabb ballad, an upbeat Frank Sinatra tune, Ride a White Swan by Trex, you get the idea, slower, but not slow

And have another dance …

Sway a little more and relax those hips baby

And now for the golf bit …

You might have some sort of indoor putter practice device, but here’s what I do

Take a standard, straight sided, half pint glass and place it against the skirting board …

Drop a couple of balls around 8 feet away

And putt

I try to get the ball in the glass, obviously …

But also avoid hitting the skirting board if I miss

I’m looking into the possibility of compiling some golf training mixes for those people who can’t think about tracks to insert into this drill …

But frankly, if you can’t think of your own, and you’ve never danced, you’re either going to have to take a giant leap into the world of music, or find your own way to practice this transition.

I’ve been practicing this for the last hour or so and I can honestly say that my putting has improved ..

I’ve also had a few glasses of red

Which always helps …

With anything

Tomorrow I’m playing my second ever round on a full 18 hole golf course …

I’ll be dancing round it

And I’ll let you know how things worked out …